<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#009999">OK, so I had to change my tire. Do I now need to go buy two new ones as the spare is newer so the treads are newer than on the other three? Or do I just need to buy another to replace the spare?</font>

[ 10-19-2006, 05:38 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

What sort of shape are the other three tires in?
Do you have a full sized spare, or a compact spare?

If you have a full sized spare:
Just get the bad one fixed, and use it as the new spare. You may want to go to a 4 tire rotation until you have to replace the others.

If you have a compact spare:
Usually it's a good idea to replace tires in pairs, but if you have almost new tires and can get the same ones you had on there before, you can get away with only replacing the flat one.

One more note:
If you get two new tires, and assuming you have a front wheel drive vehicle, the new tires should go on the front.

<font color=8fbc8f>If I'm understanding this correctly, you now have one good tire on the vehicle, and three "may-pops". If that's the case, and those are your kids, not your siblings in your sig, you should get four new tires on the ground, and put the spare back in storage. When there is a noticable difference in the tread, then's it that time!

If I'm totally wrong, then have the replaced one repaired, or replaced based upon remaining warranty, and put it back into service.</font>

Depends on the reason you put the spare on. If it's bald and dead, then the rest are probably close behind. Replace 'em two at a time, if not all four.

If it ran into a nail or some other unfriendly artillery, then see if it can be repaired. A repaired tire can still last quite a long time.

I'll echo Felix on tread life. If you've still got decent tread, go with the tires you've got.

Oh, and once the flat is fixed (assuming it can be saved and is worth keeping), put it back on and put the spare back in the trunk. Keep it fresh for the next time.

And keep the number of a good tire place in the car, just in case... ;)

To add to what others have said, putting the least worn tires on the back of a FWD car is a bad idea, especially in winter.

The back of a FWD car is lighter than the front, considerably lighter. That, combined with the lower ability of a bald tire to wick water and snow away from the tread makes the car want to do a 180 when you brake - this can be disastrous in an emergency during slippery conditions.

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but think of it this way - if they aren't good enough to drive the front of the car why are you trying to keep them?

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#009999">Actually all tires are still good except for the punctered one I just had them inspected a few months ago. The compact spare looks like crap so I told my wife to drive directly to the tire shop to get two new ones as the compact tire is not something I trust and I don't know why cars don't come with standard tires like what is already on there. I told her to get the two back ones replaced and use one of the old back ones for the spare from now on as it is still good. They may rotate them if that is what they think is best. Thanks for the help but I so did not want to put on the compact it is like half the size of the others.</font>

[ 10-20-2006, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

Gotta love those doughnut spares (and where is he lately, anyway? [img]smile.gif[/img] )

A side note for them... they're only good for speeds up to around 55mph (90kph or so), and only good for about that many miles (or kilometers), too... about as close to disposable as you can get!

The only reason to keep one... if the designers made it fit perfectly in the car. You'll know if you try to put a real tire in and it just won't fit... :(

<font color="cyan">I dont carry a spare wheel, and couldnt use it even if I could as my strut brace is bolted across the front compartment where the spare sits. So if I pop the bonnet I just have a big empty space up front.

Plus it saves weight not to use it, and my 350bhp beast doesnt want no spare wheel holding it back!</font>

[ 10-20-2006, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: Lavindathar ]

Errr, make that "most worn" [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img]

[ 10-20-2006, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: Sir Krustin ]